What Can I Do?

Formative Assessment: Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Select an Issue and Defend a Choice

Involve students in a peer review to provide and receive feedback on the persuasiveness of their defence of their choice of issue. Use the feedback prompts below to provide structure in guiding students through this formative assessment opportunity.

Feedback Prompts:

• Have I related the issue to be addressed to globalization?
• Is my choice of issue something that I can actually take action on?
• Have I explained how and why I think I can make a difference?

These feedback prompts can be posted on an interactive white board or bulletin board, or incorporated into a feedback tool that can be copied for student use. Samples of tools created for a similar skill within a different formative assessment context may be found in the Social Studies 10-4 Formative Assessment Summary .

Develop a Plan for Social Action

Involve students in a peer review to provide and receive feedback on the effectiveness of the plan. Use the feedback prompts below to provide structure in guiding students through this formative assessment opportunity.

Feedback Prompts:

• Does my plan have the potential to raise awareness of the issue?
• Does my plan include the necessary steps to ensure a successful event?

These feedback prompts can be posted on an interactive white board or bulletin board, or incorporated into a feedback tool that can be copied for student use. Samples of tools created for a similar skill within a different formative assessment context may be found in the Social Studies 10-4 Formative Assessment Summary .

Linking to the Summative Assessment Task

• As students select an issue and defend a choice, and develop a plan for social action, through the suggested activity Making Decisions, they will have completed the first portion of the Summative Assessment Task: What Can I Do? 
• Students should consult the assessment task and the assessment task rubric  to ensure that they have provided the information required.
• Encourage students to use feedback received through the formative assessment opportunities to make enhancements to their work in progress.
• If necessary, continue to use the feedback prompts from the formative assessment opportunities to coach students toward completion of a quality product.

Setting the Context for Learning

• Ask students to consider how plausible it is to think that young people might be able to improve quality of life for others in the world.
• Ask them to think of specific examples they might know of young people who made a difference in the lives of others elsewhere in the world.
• Introduce and then show students the video of Severn Suzuki addressing the UN in 1992.
• While Severn's address was directed to adults, ask students to reflect on the role that young people might have in contributing to improving people's quality of life.
• Involve students in a U-shaped discussion based on their response to the following question: To what extent do you believe that young people are capable of improving quality of life for others in the world?
• Follow the discussion with videos produced by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC) that show how some young Albertans have worked to improve conditions globally:
  • Mohamed Ismail Is Making a Difference!
  • Adam Linnard Is Making a Difference!
  • Chitra Bakshi Is Making a Difference!
• Let students know that as they work through their inquiry over the next few classes, they will be working on the skills that they need in order to be successful with the Summative Assessment Task: What Can I Do? 
• Share the summative assessment task and the assessment task rubric  with students. Point out the different parts of the task, and let students know that they will be working on the various parts of the task as the classes proceed. Invite students to begin to consider the various formats that can be used to complete the summative assessment task.
• Note that for this summative assessment task, the skill of communicating information is not targeted for assessment. Thus, the technical details of the presentation format are not included in the rubric. Teachers could provide formative assessment to support students with this skill if desired. Further information on how to support students in working with various presentation formats is provided in the Social Studies 10-4 Formative Assessment Summary .
• The language of the assessment task rubric is clarified through the formative assessment opportunities provided for each suggested activity. The boldfaced descriptive words in the rubric are also clarified in the Summative Assessment Task Rubric Glossary .

Select an Issue and Defend a Choice

• Help students understand the importance of selecting an issue that is the result of globalization. For example, while dwindling donations at the local food bank is an important issue, it is likely not a result of globalization. However, the issue of sweatshops in Asian countries is not only an important social justice issue but an issue that is a result of globalization.
• Communicate to students that the actual issue they select is not the most important element of the summative assessment task. What's most important is their explanation as to how they believe they can take action on the challenges of globalization by addressing this issue. Encourage students to consider in particular how globalization has affected the lives of women and children or how it has affected people's human rights.
• Brainstorm with students how they might determine that the issue they have selected is worthy of attention. For example, students might suggest that their choice:
  • has the potential to affect a lot of people
  • has the potential to meet a need that is recognized as important to sustaining quality of life
  • could actually make a difference in the lives of people
  • is suitable for someone their age and has the likelihood of being successful.
• Select an issue to model for students how to use the above criteria to focus and defend their choice.
• If students require more structure, consider modifying the task for small groups or the whole class to complete. However, note that for any skill targeted for summative assessment, you will need to gather evidence of individual student work. For example, if a group of students were working together on a task, each student would need to individually defend the choice, and so forth, with each assessment focus. While group work is an important part of social studies, the use of group grades (i.e., all students in a group receive the same mark) is not an appropriate assessment strategy.

Develop a Plan for Social Action

• Select an issue to model how a plan is developed. A video such as How to Start a Community Action Project may be helpful. Help students make the connections among pre-planning, mobilization planning and the actual implementation of the plan. Consider checking in with students at each stage of the planning process to provide feedback.
• Brainstorm methods of organizing a plan. Some students may wish to work in a linear fashion, other students may prefer to use a chart, and other students may create a web.
• In the pre-planning stage, students will gather information about the issue and its impact on people. Students will also determine the best method of making a difference to address this issue. For example, an issue may need information to be disseminated or money to be raised.
• In the mobilization stage, students will create a plan of how to take social action. Prompt students to consider the support that may be needed as they implement their plan, such as people to help with various tasks, supplies, money and space. While not all students will use a chart to organize their thinking, this example illustrates how students may work through the planning stage.

Textbook References

Student Basic Resource—Oxford University Press, Living in a Globalizing World:

• Page 347 One Albertan Making a Difference
• Page 359 Petitioning for Change

Student Basic Resource—McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Exploring Globalization:

• Pages 368–370 What Does Global Citizenship Mean?
• Pages 372–373 Developing Cross-cultural Understanding
• Page 374 Irshad Manji: Speaking Out for Her Faith Show more
• Pages 377–379 What Is My Role in the Globalizing World?

Teaching Resource—Oxford University Press, Living in a Globalizing World:

• RM 0.3 Analyzing & Discussing Issues 
• AM 2 Generating & Organizing Ideas Rubric
• AM 3 Considering Multiple Perspectives Rating Scale

Web Resources

Knowledge and Employability Studio (Social Studies): 

• Self-assessment Checklist: 10-4.4 Globalization and Citizenship 

Videos:

• LearnAlberta.ca:
  • Working for Change: Active Global Citizenship

Distributed Learning/Tools4Teachers Resources:

• LearnAlberta.ca: Social Studies 10-2 Module 6: Global Citizenship

Critical Challenges:

• LearnAlberta.ca:
  • Shared Civic Responsibilities
  • Urging Others to Act
  • Where Do I Draw My Line? Show more
  • Taking Responsible Action